DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes Recalls 33,000 Cars

BERLIN January 9, 2004; Dow Jones reported that
Mercedes-Benz, a division of DaimlerChrysler AG, Friday said it
is recalling about 33,000 cars worldwide, in another sign of
slipping quality at the luxury carmaker.

The company will notify owners of C, CLK, and E Class
models, built between August and October 2003, to check
potentially faulty belt buckles. The company described the
checks as precautionary.

It said it found isolated cases where the buckles failed to
click into place properly.

Of the cars to be recalled, about 12,000 are from
Germany.

The news is another blow to Mercedes-Benz's reputation for
quality. The luxury carmaker has seen its image battered
recently by poor scores on quality surveys. It has suffered,
above all, from electronics problems.